1

Meta Model
Take it in turns to read out the problem statement and respond using the specific Meta
Model structure indicated. Each structure will be demonstrated first.

Unspecified Nouns
Example ‘I want a change’
Response ‘What change, specifically’?

I want a change I’m enjoying this

It’s terrible I have lots of skills

Meet you at the pub I want a computer

I want the report tomorrow I’m putting you down for a course

I need it now We need this done today

I need the report Get me a sandwich

Talk to the customer I need a new car

Get the problem fixed I read it in a magazine

Unspecified Verbs
Example ‘She rejected me’
Response ‘How exactly did she reject you?’
He did it He made her leave

I calmed the customer down My boss ruined me

I’ve taken the heat out of the situation I did a great piece of work

I’ve seen the writing on the wall They get on really well

He’s running the department badly I like him

This company is going places She always falls

I told him, now he should do it properly I’m running on empty

At least he tries Let’s go!

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Nominalisation
Example ‘I want recognition’
Response ‘How do you want to be recognised’

We have made our decision Your work needs more attention

I have a bad feeling I want more choice

There’s no relationship We had a great meeting

Failure worries me I want publicity

Our customers have no patience Sales doesn’t work

He makes a bad impression Marketing doesn’t work

We need better management Manufacturing has no future

I want more direction Decisions are always hard

Lack of Referential Index

Example ‘They don’t rate me’
Response ‘Who, specifically doesn’t rate you?’
Response ‘According to who?’

The writings on the wall People are stupid

They should know better It needs to be done properly

People make mistake Those people need to be disciplined

Those products are expensive One knows what’s best

This happens everyday If you learn NLP you will become very
rich

We shouldn’t do that It’s either them or us

You must turn your mobile off in the office We’re all going to be made redundant

They say you should do more exercise If you can’t beat them……
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Simple Deletion
Example ‘I’m unhappy’, Response ‘unhappy about what?’

You can’t Help me

I’m fed up I’m sad

We can manage I just can’t start

He is wrong It’s perfect

I know It’s all wrong

I feel curious I don’t want to

Never again He can’t

You must not do that Stop it

Comparative Deletions
Example ‘Our new product is more effective’
Response ‘More effective than what?’
Response ‘More effective than when?’

It’s for the greater good He’s more sensitive

NLP is better She goes further

This is far more efficient You look happier

Hard beds are better He’s more tolerant

She’s much brighter This is more complicated

This is more like it Green is calmer

She’s more fun This is getting much easier

Blue is better I’m enjoying this so mush more


Complex equivalence
Example ‘He’s silent…..He doesn’t like what I’ve done’
Response ‘How do you know that his silence means he doesn’t like what you’ve done’
A good relationship means never having to
say sorry
To stay in this job, I have to work harder
You can’t have a well-paid job that is
enjoyable too
You can’t trust salespeople
Marketing is an easy job
If you want success you have to give up your
home life
That means trouble
He came in late on Saturday. I’m going to
have to fire him
Lost performance
Example ‘it’s disaster to be made redundant’
Response ‘Who is being made redundant’
Response ‘Who is saying it’s a disaster?’
People make mistake
They should have seen it coming
They’re always doing that
This report needs finishing
A meeting was held
Mistakes have been made
Nobody is pulling their weight
People are more flexible these days
4
When you talk like that, I know you
don’t mean it
He wears the same colour shirt as the
boss: that means he’s in for promotion
I saw them down the pub together; they
must be having an affair
This is the only way
He doesn’t know what I want because he
doesn’t care about me
She goes down to the gym so she must
be healthy
Managers are overpaid
People like people who are like them
People learn from people who are different
Learning NLP will make you more successful
This needs fixing
This report needs finishing
A meeting has already been held about this
They’ve been at it again
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Mind reading
Example ‘you don’t rate me’
Response ‘How do know that I don’t rate you?’
Response ‘what leads you to believe that?’

I know you don’t believe me She’s really happy now

He doesn’t want to help me He’ll laugh at this

You just don’t care They will think I’m stupid if I do that

He’s ever so happy He’ll be upset if you disturb him

My boss thinks I’m lazy He’ll get upset if you leave early

He’ll hate you if you do that When I present, everyone is judging me

The boss is in a foul mood today You can see how effective NLP is

You know this isn’t working I know you’re enjoying this

Cause and effect

Example ‘He makes me cringe just by speaking’
Response ‘How does he make you cringe?’
Response ‘How you make yourself cringe when he speaks?’
Because of you I feel worthless They restrict my enthusiasm

This exercise will inspire me I can’t relax without music

I’m unhappy when he goes away
If I stay in this job I have to work harder
If you want a pay rise you have to stay late
If I do that I’ll get into trouble
My boss makes me angry
If you do that I’ll leave
I feel tense as soon as speaks
If you want success you have to give up
your home life
We can’t do that because it won’t listen
If I do the presentation it will go badly
There’s no point trying, he won’t listen
I won’t apply, they’ll never give me the job
Things always go wrong when she walks in
here

Presuppositions
Example ‘What are we going to do next?’
Response ‘How do you know we’re doing something next?’
Response ‘What makes you think we’re doing something next?’
When this plan falls I’ll say ‘told you so’
It will be easier when he leaves
What will the next reorganization bring?
When are you leaving?
Who are you going to fire next?
You’ll enjoy it once you do it
Once you make a start, you’ll find it easy
We can’t buy a car because we don’t have
any cash
Universal Quantifiers
Example ‘He never listens to me’
Response ‘Never?’
Response ‘was there ever a time when he did?’
Nobody likes me
All companies are greedy
It’s always the honest people that love
Nothings the same anymore
Nothing works here
Everybody’s talking about it
American’s can express themselves
Salespeople can’t be trusted
6
I’ll be so happy when he gets found out
I can’t go for lunch with you because I’m
going to a customer meeting
I can’t go home – my boss won’t like it
I can’t learn to use this properly because I
don’t have enough time
What’s going to go wrong next?
I’m just waiting for a bus
We won’t be late – we can get a taxi
I’ll be happy when this is all over
He always tells the truth
No one cares any more
Nobody is having any fun these days
All the competition exaggerates
I’ll never be able to get fit
They always have an excuse
Everybody works too hard
NLP practitioners are always healthy

Modal Operator of Necessity
Example ‘I have to take care of her’
Response ‘What happens if you don’t?’
We shouldn’t do that
You have to get a good education
You must arrive on time
You’ve got to laugh
I must get a new car
You always have to be dressed smartly
You must be polite to the boss
We have to get a break from work
Modal Operator of Possibility
Example ‘I can’t tell the truth’
Response ‘What would happen if you did?’
Response ‘What stops you?’
Response ‘How do you stop yourself?’
I can’t go there now
I can’t ring that customer
I won’t be able to complete that on time
I can’t apply for that job
I might not finish that report on time
I can’t imagine that
I might just tell him that
I could do it if I tried
7
You must get that work done to day
I mustn’t leave yet
You need an action plan
You have to listen to the boss
You ought to be more careful
You shouldn’t talk to that customer
without asking me first
This project must not fail
You mustn’t
I can’t relax
I’ll never be to able to learn this
I can’t sleep
I couldn’t possibly tell you
I couldn’t ask for a pay rise
I can’t concentrate on work at the moment
I couldn’t fire her
I might do what he says
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NLP Meta model (Short version)

Metamodel Questions Use them to:

Specify information.
Clarify information.
Open up a person’s model of the world.

The Questions

How? Who? What? When? Where? (Very occasionally Why? – What’s the purpose)
Who specifically? Who says? According to Whom?
Everybody? Always? Never? Nobody? Nothing? All? No one?
What do you mean by that?
Compared to whom? Compared to what?

How do you know? What stops you? How do you stop yourself? What would happen if you
could? What would happen if you did? What will happen when you do? What would happen
if you didn’t?
Tell me more….
What does that mean…
And….